Schizophrenia in children and adolescents occurs much less frequently than in adults. Undetermined fears, fantasies, delusions and even accelerated development of certain mental functions – all of which can be observed in psychiatric disorders in children seroquel xr side effects.
The manifestations of schizophrenia in children and adolescents differ from those of adults. The impact of the disease is superimposed on the mental development processes, thus slowing down and distorted the child’s mental development.
The most dangerous thing in schizophrenia – is not nonsense and hallucinations, and that the disease is fundamentally changing the baby or a teenager, his attitude to the world, leaving an indelible mark on his personality.
Negative symptoms
Negative symptoms of child and adolescent schizophrenia – reducing activity, emotional impoverishment combined with immersion in your own world. Gradually, the disease imposes an indelible imprint on all mental processes, formed a schizophrenic defect.
If schizophrenia is started early, with time children become like the mentally retarded, although initially these were not. It becomes obscure, thinking deteriorates significantly reduced intelligence. Such children may forget how to walk and start to crawl on all fours. Thus, at the beginning of the disease in childhood schizophrenic defect it has much in common with the manifestations of mental retardation (congenital mental retardation).
Productive disorders
The main manifestations of schizophrenia in children – different fears, motor disinhibition, pathological fantasy.
In adolescents with schizophrenia manifested delusions disability, anorexia, philosophical intoxication. Delusions disability – this is when their own external features (the eyes, the shape of the nose, lips, etc…) Appear to be incredibly ugly man (large, small), but in fact are not. Often, these adolescents feel that they are incredibly thick (though their weight is normal), so they are starting to give up food, intentionally reduce their weight – is anorexia.
Philosophical intoxication – excessive interest in abstract problems of primitive thinking on this topic. Though people externally and is interested in something sublime, serious (philosophy, religion, science), but his knowledge of the area is actually superficial, and reflections on the theme of different primitiveness.
There is also a productive symptoms of schizophrenia in adolescents include psychopathic disorder. In boys, psychopathic behavior is often manifested in the form of cruelty, brutality, sexual disinhibition, addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Treatment of schizophrenia in children and adolescents and their social adaptation
The sooner parents understand that their child that something is wrong and to seek medical help, the greater the chances of such a child in the future to enjoy a full life. By itself, schizophrenia does not take place, if left untreated, symptoms will progress only gradually join personality changes, and formed defect.
Children with schizophrenia need adequate treatment by a psychiatrist. The basis of drug treatment of schizophrenia – the use of neuroleptics. These drugs help relieve the symptoms of productive, prevent the development of negative symptoms, help the child or young person to return to a normal life.
The task of parents – not only in time to see a doctor, but also have a son or daughter of a maximum of support, understanding, love. Although many children and become aggressive, disinhibition, but this is not their fault, but the result of the disease. Therefore, parents need to be tolerant of such manifestations of schizophrenia find a common language with children.